Mechanical impact printers are known to the prior art for imprinting a succession of characters, which may be expressed in the form of a bar code or the like, on a succession of labels which removably adhere to an elongated strip of label stock backing. In such printers, the elongated strip is moved under tension in a first direction past a print station where the characters are successively imprinted. The imprinted label stock may then be wound onto a take-up reel for subsequent dispensing of the imprinted labels. In certain cases, it is desired to remove the imprinted labels immediately after imprinting. To this end, the prior art has provided label stripping apparatus which may comprise a guide member having a projection or the like forming a label stripping surface around which the label stock is passed after imprinting. If the direction of label stock movement is changed by substantially 90.degree. as it passes around the label stripping surface, and if the label stripping surface is formed by a projection or other sufficiently sharp surface, the individual labels will separate from the label stock backing at the label stripping surface and can thereafter be completely removed from the label stock backing by hand.
It can readily be appreciated that hand removal of the label and subsequent hand application of the thus-removed label to a desired surface are inefficient steps in an otherwise automated apparatus. Typically, the speed of label transport through the impact printer is much greater than the speed with which a human operator can remove labels and apply them to a surface. Therefore, the speed of label production in the case where the labels are to be applied immediately to a surface is limited to the speed of the human operator.
To increase the speed of label production in such cases, the prior art has proposed automated label applicators which receive the label as it is stripped from the label stock backing, which move the thus-received label into proximity to a surface to which the label is to be applied, and which apply the label to the surface. In one device known to the prior art, an anvil having a vacuum source coupled thereto is moved into proximity to the label stripping surface so that the label is sucked onto the anvil with the adhesive surface outward as the label is stripped from the stock backing. A pressurized air source may also be directed at the adhesive backing to assist in positioning the label on the anvil. Then, the anvil is moved to an applicating position in proximity to a surface to which the label is to be applied. By converting the vacuum source to a pressurized air source, the label is then blown off the anvil onto the desired surface. Although this device significantly increases the speed of label production, it is costly to implement inasmuch as both vacuum and pressurized air sources must be provided.
In another device known to the prior art, an endless belt is driven in proximity to the label stripping surface so that the adhesive backing of the label contacts the endless belt as the label is stripped from the label stock backing. The endless belt then transports the label to an intermediate position in proximity to an anvil which is provided with a vacuum source. The label is accordingly sucked from the endless belt onto the anvil. When the anvil is moved to an applicating position, the label is applied to a desired surface by converting the vacuum source to a pressurized air source. This device is subject to the disadvantages of, and is slower than, the first device mentioned above, and has proved to be unreliable in operation in that the label oftentimes cannot be removed from the endless belt.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automated label applicator, preferably for use with impact printers of the type described, which has a speed of operation comparable to that of prior automated label applicators but which is simpler and cheaper to construct and more reliable in operation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an automated label applicator which does not require the use of pressurized air or vacuum sources.